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And He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'

¹⁵Wilt thou keep the old way

Which wicked men have trodden?

¹⁶Who were snatched away before their time,

Whose foundation was poured out as a stream;

¹⁷Who said unto God: 'Depart from us';

And what could the Almighty do unto them?

¹⁸Yet He filled their houses with good things—

But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹The righteous saw it, and were glad,

And the innocent laugh them to scorn:

²⁰'Surely their substance is cut off,

And their abundance the fire hath consumed.'

 

²¹Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace;

Thereby shall thine increase be good.

²²Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth,

And lay up His words in thy heart.

²³If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up—

If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,

²⁴And lay thy treasure in the dust,

And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

²⁵And the Almighty be thy treasure,

And precious silver unto thee;

²⁶Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty,

And shalt lift up thy face unto God.

²⁷Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee,

And thou shalt pay thy vows;

²⁸Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee,

And light shall shine upon thy ways.

 

²⁹When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up';

For the humble person He saveth.

³⁰He delivereth him that is innocent,

Yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.

23 Then Job answered and said:

²Even to-day is my complaint bitter;

My hand is become heavy because of my groaning.

³Oh that I knew where I might find Him,

That I might come even to His seat!

⁴I would order my cause before Him,

And fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I would know the words which He would answer me,

And understand what He would say unto me.

⁶Would He contend with me in His great power?

Nay; but He would give heed unto me.

⁷There the upright might reason with Him;

So should I be delivered for ever from my Judge.

 

⁸Behold, I go forward, but He is not there,

And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

⁹On the left hand, when He doth work, but I cannot behold Him,

He turneth Himself to the right hand, but I cannot see Him.

 

¹⁰For He knoweth the way that I take;

When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

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